I Forgive You
by Wolfe W. Steele
Summary: Steele's fall down the cliff has left him more than just shook up. It's left him scarred and torn. With this near-death experience, will anyone come to his rescue?
1. Introduction

Balto watched in terror as Steele plummeted down the edge of the cliff, hitting himself violently on rocks and ledges on his way down. He smashed into the ground with a violent crack, and Balto winced at the noise. Balto turned to the team and sighed.

"Well..is he alright?" Star asked, somewhat nervous. Sure he hated him...the whole team did. But losing their leader was just too much of a risk.

"He's not moving...might be dead, even." Balto replied sadly. "You guys have to move on." He said as he walked up to Kaltag. "I'm going to leave you in charge."

"What?" Was his response. "I-I don't even know how to get back.."

"Just follow the marked trail." Balto then turned away from them and approached the ledge. "Get the medicine safely to the children..and in time." Balto looked over his shoulder at the other dogs. "I have to go make sure Steele is alright."

The other dogs looked at him oddly. Nikki was the one to speak up.

"You're going to help him? Why's that, boss?" He questioned. "After all he's done to you! The ruthless taunts, beating, mockery...you would honestly help him?"

The dogs gazed confused at Balto, who simply shrugged with a frown and said "I'm not like him..." He took a deep breath and paused. "He may be ruthless and cruel to me...but at least I can forgive him."

Kaltag's jaw was nearly on the floor. "You can honestly do that?!"

"Honestly." Balto said with a smile. "Besides, he's got to be in a lot of pain right now...I'm not willing to let someone suffer and die while I just sit back and watch.."

He looked at the team of dogs. "I'll follow soon after, though that could also be dependent on Steele's condition."

"Also dependent on if he's willing to be helped!" Star butted in.

Kaltag as always grunted and raised his paw to smash Star over the head, when Balto interrupted. "Ah.." He raised a paw signaling for him to stop. "Don't hit him, please."

Kaltag sighed and lowered his paw to the ground. "Alright."

"Now, everyone get a move on. We don't want any children dying." Balto ordered. The team agreed, and being lead by Kaltag, they started on their way back home.

Balto began his careful trek down the cliffside. It was slippery on the way down and each single ledge was narrow and jagged, but eventually Balto landed on all fours in the soft and powdery snow. He cautiously walked over to Steele, stopping once along the way to make sure he wasn't in for some surprise attack; but none ever came. Once Balto stood next to Steele he examined his condition. His breathing was slow and weak, his fur was torn and bloody, and a small stream of blood bubbled forth from his muzzle onto the cold icy ground. Balto grimaced at the sight and took a few steps back in mild shock. He had never seen so much carnage in his entire lifetime...this was entirely new to him. Just the cold hard fact that someone was dying in front of him didn't sink in well, even if it was Steele; the one who always thought he was unbreakable. Yet there he lay in the unforgiving snow, reduced to nearly nothing, unconscious and whimpering to himself, and bleeding. The blood was everywhere. So much in fact that it made Balto nearly sick to look at it. He pondered what to do. Should he try to summon all of his strength and drag Steele all the way back to Nome?

'_No...there's a good chance he'll bleed to death' _He thought to himself. What if he just left him to die? He would die quiet and peaceful...and the snow storm would bury him all by itself. No one would know what happened. _'I'd do that if I didn't have a guilty conscience..'_

Balto thought it over several times and sighed to himself when he finally came to a conclusion. There was only one thing he could possibly do. Balto stepped back up to Steele, trying to ignore the sickening pool of blood that was beginning to form, and laid down next to him. Balto wrapped his paws around the husky and curled up close to him. After a few seconds of trying to get comfortable he spoke. "The snow might be cold...and you might be dying.." He whispered into the sleeping husky's ears. "But I'm going to make sure you have a nice warm place to sleep...just in case..you do...happen to pass over." He smiled and rested his head on the husky's shoulder. "Sweet dreams."


	2. Awakening

Steele shifted in his sleep, causing Balto to slightly awaken and open his eyes lazily. "S..Steele?" He asked through a shiver. "Are you awake?"

Steele grunted and stretched a bit before painfully opening his eyes as well. His eyes darted around, taking in his enviornment and noticing the ghastly amount of blood emitting from him. He cringed at the sight and closed his eyes once more. "It hurts." He replied.

"You're alive.." Balto smiled nervously as he backed off of Steele a bit.

"Wait..." Steele began. Balto, not liking the tone of Steele's voice, got to his paws and backed up even further. "You're..."

"Balto." Balto interrupted.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to help." Balto took a step towards Steele.

"I don't need help." Steele spat as he tried to get up but fell back down to his side and cried out in pain.

"You're hurt."

"I am _not_ hurt." He growled.

Balto sighed and took a few steps closer to Steele and lowering his head. "Just let me help you."

"I don't need _your _help. If you want to assist, go find someone else."

"That'll take too long. You'd be dead by then."

"I'd rather be dead than be rescued by you."

"Why are you being so stubborn?!" Balto asked somewhat infuriated. "What do you have against me?"

Steele groaned and brought his paw up to his eyes in disbelief. "You took away my glory, you took away my master's trust, you're beginning to take away my friends....and you took away my girl."

Balto pondered this for a second. "I was tired of being stepped on! You made my life a living hell."

"Only for a good reason, wolf-dog." Steele flinched uncomfortably. "You and all of your kind are.."

"What do you have against my kind?!"

Steele shifted his eyes towards the ground and gave off a depressed sigh as he began to tear up. "My mother.." He sniffled. "She was murdered." Steele closed shut his eyes as he tried to hold back the tears. "She was murdered by you and your kind."

"I had nothing to do with that!" Balto screamed as his breathing became erratic. "I wouldn't kill anyone...I wouldn't even _hurt _anyone." He admitted as he started to cry. "I wouldn't even hurt you. Not for what you did. Not for anything." Balto took a few steps closer to Steele and looked him in the eye. "I'm truly sorry....about your mom." He placed his paw on Steele's shoulder. "But right now we have to get you back to Nome and to a doctor - otherwise you'll die out here."

"I don't..."

"You're always complaining about me taking things way from you.." He smiled. "Well now I'm giving you something. Your life."

"I hate my life." Steele stated, causing Balto to lightly take his paw off Steele's shoulder.

"What?" He asked worriedly. "Why?"

"My mother is dead, my master doesn't have confidence in me anymore...and none of my friends really like me.."

"How could you say that? They love you."

"They hate me." Steele pouted. "They talk about me behind my back, they make fun of me...sure they let me boss them around - but that's just part of their little game. Playing me for the fool."

"No one's playing you for a fool."

"They are. Every single day they use my false leadership as a gag, and I'm tired of it. All I've ever wanted to do is just live up to what my mom wanted me to be." He finally admitted.

"Steele.."

"She wanted me to be brave and strong. She wanted me to be happy with myself.." He sobbed. "But I'm not happy with myself. I'm just not." He started to choke over his tears. "It's just all an act. I'm not happy, I'm not brave and I'm not strong....I'm weak."

"Steele, I don't know what to say." Balto said as he sat down.

"Ever since she died I've been stuck in this downward spiral of hate and misery. I tried to overcome it by masking myself over as this powerful sled dog, but that's just not who I am - and it pains me everyday to have to play this ridiculous game while deep inside I want to lash out and cry. I have a good reason to hate your kind."

Balto sat there looking at Steele for a few moments before speaking. "Steele, I'm not one of them."

"What do you mean?" He asked through sniffles.

"Those wolves, that killed your mother...I'm not like them." He shook his head and smiled weakly. "I despise what they did, and I feel sorry for you - and I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure you get back to Nome safe and.." Balto stopped when he saw the dejected expression on Steele's face. "You don't want to go back, do you?"

Steele sobbed and shook his head. "No."

"You have to go back."

"For what? There's nothing for me to go back to. Not even my little charade."

Balto sighed and gathered up his strength for what he was about to say. "For me."

Steele turned his head towards Balto in a confused manner. "What?"

"I know it's confusing." Balto walked over to Steele and sat down next to him. "But I actually care about you. I mean, sure you make my life miserable. But it just wouldn't be the same without you." He smiled.

"Alright.." Steele replied unsure of what else to say.

"Good. Now let's get you to your feet."

"I don't think I can stand." Steele groaned.

"Well you have to try." Balto said as he offered Steele a paw.

Steele relentingly took his paw and pulled himself up slowly but surely to his feet. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He smiled. "Let's get moving."


End file.
